Burn Baby Burn: And that's exactly how Paramount Studios destroyed most of the old set of Bonanza, as filming would now shift to Warner Bros. studios ... by fire. To do this, a script was commissioned around the Cartwrights working with Deputy Clem and Sheriff Coffee to find the arsonist who has been burning down most of the Virginia City business district.
Cartwright Curse: This time, it's one of the key supporting characters — Clem Foster — who experiences this. He has no idea that his girlfriend has a deeply troubled past or is behind the fires that have been causing massive damage across Virginia City. Primarily a focused deputy, this is one of the few times Clem shows genuine emotion.
Dark Secret: Janie, Clem's girlfriend ... whom he has no idea that she has a deeply disturbing past. She was sexually abused by her stepfather, and one night, she set fire to their house after trapping him inside, killing him. Because therapy for sexual abuse victims didn't exist in the 1870s as it does today, and certainly social attitudes were different, Janie never got the help she severely needed ... and so she set fires as a scream for help.
A Day in the Limelight: For Deputy Sheriff Clem Foster, this was the character's most extensive appearance.
Fake Guest Star: Although his character of Deputy Sheriff Clem Foster appears in about 90 episodes throughout the run, primarily as a supporting character, Bing Russell is given "special guest" status in this episode.
